


In the Kitchen

by AraneaHighwind



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13204053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AraneaHighwind/pseuds/AraneaHighwind
Summary: Aranea Highwind lives in the renovated Citadel along with Ignis Scientia.  What does the High Commodore do to impress the Royal Chamberlain?





	In the Kitchen

**Author's Note:**

> This occurs after the second ending of Episode Ignis. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t cook, but today I decided to experiment with the slow cooker to give myself a break from... frozen crap that I’m trying to use to be good with my diet. HAHAHAHA. Yeah, so I imagined this one while I was preparing a meal similar to what Aranea is doing in this short story. 5 hours and 32 minutes to find out if I am successful...

It was early. Aranea surprised herself by waking up before him. She carefully moved his arm from around her and waited to see if he would wake. A quiet, soft snore told her he was still sleeping. Aranea carefully removed the covers and stood up, again waiting for a sign that he was still sleeping.

She stood by the bed for a long moment, gazing down at the man still sleeping. His sandy hair was tousled from sleep. During the day, it stood at attention, every hair in its place; immaculate just like the rest of him. His skin seemed to glow in the soft moonlight that flooded the room on this full-moon night. His face was peaceful, no longer carrying the signs of stress she had seen when they first met and that still appeared when he was awake at times.

Ignis had assumed his role as the royal chamberlain finally. This man had been responsible for turning back the hands of fate, bringing back both the day and restoring the King of Lucis to his rightful throne. This wasn’t a small accomplishment by any means. It had taken a Herculean effort on his part- and the sacrifice of his own life. He had been willing, eager to pay the price on behalf of Noctis. And only Noctis wearing the Ring of Power and drawing upon the Crystal had brought him back from the edge of the abyss- the one place she could never follow.

No, she pulled that thought back. She was glad Noctis had turned up when he did. She had gladly given them a ride to Gralea upon hearing from Ravus where they were headed and who had gone ahead alone.  She had faced down an entire squadron of daemons to allow the boys time to get to his side.  She knew they weren’t going to make it in time if she didn’t.  And she knew she was willing to go down for the young advisor, as irrational as it was for her at the time.

Bloody fool- she had thought at the time. Aranea smiled. At the same time, she would have expected nothing less of Ignis. His faith and devotion were undying where Noctis and the Kingdom of Lucis were concerned. And she hoped that extended to her as well.

She walked to the door and quietly donned her robe before padding silently down the halls of the Citadel toward the royal kitchen. The kitchen attendant was already there, yawning sleepily in the hours before the dawn and standing over the coffee maker on the counter. He looked slightly surpised.

“Commodore Highwind, I wasn’t expecting you at this hour.” The attendant flourished a bow and slightly wobbled, a clear sign he was barely awake.

“Don’t worry about it, Theodotus.” Aranea smiled. The kitchen attendant was dressed immaculately in his uniform. His hair was also perfect. He was an older gentleman. She knew that Theodotus had served in the Citadel’s kitchen before the Fall and had managed to escape with his life. When Ignis discovered he was among the survivors of the attack, he immediately sought him out. It was Theodotus that had given Ignis his first lessons in cooking.

“What brings you here, my Lady?”

“I wanted to make something for Ignis. Think you could spare me a slow-cooker and some food?” Aranea had just started cooking and she still remembered the first time Ignis had caught her in the kitchen. She was standing over a skillet fire and was trying to bat at it with a kitchen towel. He had calmly come over and covered the fire with the lid before removing it from the heat. He had laughed at her long and loud to see the charred remains inside the skillet.

“But of course I can.” Theodotus replied. He had heard of the kitchen fire through Ignis, who had related the story crying tears of mirth and then had asked Theodotus to not allow the Commodore Highwind into the kitchen on her own until he was sure that there would be no further incidents. Ignis had reasoned that the Citadel had just been restored and it would be a pity for it to burn down again. He had laughed again, loud and long. Theodotus couldn’t recall a time where Ignis had been prone to the giggles, as it were. And he cherished Aranea for it. She was a good thing in his life. She doted on him in her own way, although Ignis had once insisted it was like a cat bringing kills to the doorstep as a gift.

Aranea set about the kitchen once the ingredients arrived. She began slicing chicken breasts, mangling a few until Theodotus stepped in with the proper kitchen knife. She added the sliced chicken to the slow-cooker, some water, vegetables, and stood over the concotion triumphantly. Theodotus came over with some spices and other ingredients to form a sauce in the slow-cooker to give it some much needed flavor. He turned and winked at the cracked doorway where a barely contained Ignis stood watching, a smile on his face.


End file.
